"You're Not Getting The Point"

An serendipitous impressionistic documentary, with elements of expressionism

(the photo is linked to a discussion on Facebook)

 Recent thoughts;

October 2010 - I recently showed a copy of this film at "Cinema Under the Stars". It was an experiment to see how it projected from an S-VHS machine.  The copy was actually an old dupe of a VHS copy. It projected rather poorly. I found that it was very dark and the outside borders of the projected image were quite different that what is seen on the monitor, but interestingly enough, now that I have the exhibition capabilities, I am finding myself more encouraged to finish a number of the films I have laying around.

I'm also thinking that I will start a film festival of some sort at the Park.

This film needs a lot of work to make it presentable. I think, however that I will be able to do that once my editing bench is working properly.  It is unfortunate that my equipment is older and lacks the simplicity of the newer programs and cameras (that may very well be an illusion, because nothing is ever simple).  I have been having interface difficulties for some time now, because I feel as though I need to have a functioning composite interface, which I continue to hope will be a G3 that I have intended for that purpose, yet cannot seem to get working. A good deal of my older projects require the interface for transfer into Final Cut Pro (if I expect to do that transfer in-house and judging from the cost involved that is most desirable).  I've been hung up on this issue for a very long time.  Add to that the fact that my Uher 1000 Pilot needs rebuilding and (to the best of my knowledge) my material for this film needs to be transferred to ADAT using that particular machine. AG More later...


Synopsis: The film was initially intended to be my contribution to the events that were occurring in Buck County, Pennsylvania during the time period of 1982-85. I became aware of the plan to pump water out of the Delaware as far back as 1979 when I went on a tube float down the river to protest the plan.

Sometime later, when I found myself walking down the street in Doylestown, I took pause to watch a large group of people being herded out of the paddy wagons into the courthouse. I soon found out that they were arrested for protesting at the site of the proposed construction in Point Pleasant.
I knew that there was no way I was going to let myself get arrested. I had no desire to tangle with the police or the court system, I did enough of that with the Department of Transportation. So I wondered what I could do to help. I looked down at my Ziess Contraflex and knew that photography was the way, at least until I got back to my studio and saw my Beaulieu R-16 sitting there.

So I decided to film the events instead of photograph them. I begged what resources I could to buy 16mm film. I shot like a banshee, knowing I had a limited amount of footage. The way I saw it, 24 fps meant 24 still photographs, so I did not worry too much about how smooth everything was, just so I could capture the events.

My plan was to double & triple frame the areas that needed it. Of course, I never got around to that. Luckily most of the exposures were not too terrible. If you know anything about a Beaulieu you will know why I say that, since I depended on the internal meter.

At first I was viewed with great skepticism, the people involved wondered what I was doing with a camera. Very few people had ever seen a camera like the one I was using and so it was strange for them. It got down to the fact that, other than one friend with a Bolex, who shot a few rolls, I was the only person I could see who was shooting film. There were a few folks who shot some video, and there were numerous people who shot photography, but I shot film. Of course the news agencies, who also shot video, but none of that came from an inside perspective.

It is interesting to note that when Sandy & I were working on fund-raising, one of the places we went was - the Corporation for Public Broadcasting. At first they were very interested in the project and we even had a meeting in their Washington office about it, they told us that they would fund the film, but only if we took a centralist point of view.

HA! I said forget it. Of course I wasn't that blunt to them, but I was not about to spend my energy to give the very people who were using all their political clout, all the public resources (against the public's will), and all the deviousness they could muster behind closed doors to mislead and manipulate the local government into imposing an unwanted boondoggle of a project on the majority of citizens who made their voices known in a "non-binding referendum". This very public company, in cahoots the special interests who served to gain millions from the public coffers, scammed the county into spending huge amounts of money, because they likewise scammed the politicians into binding contracts that were signed without the citizens being informed of what was happening. The legal battles that ensued were a horrendous waste of taxpayers money and the project that resulted was ultimately disposed of by the county and sold to a neighboring county for a loss. The end result being massive over-development of the land and a plethora of other related problems, which I do not care to go into.

As you can see, I still get upset by this after 25 years. This is one of the reasons for my delay in finishing this film.

The shear volume of material that I have, which needs to be reviewed is going to take a huge amount of valuable time, which I am quite hesitant to spend on this subject. I get very emotional about it and I am not sure I want to do so.

Sandy & I spent and incredible amount of energy trying to get this story told. In New York, Washington, San Fransisco and Hollywood. We took the film around to numerous studios, who had the audacity to suggest that they could recreate the events for a film. We went to see Clint Eastwood when he was Mayor of Carmel and took the project to Martian Sheen, who said he was impressed, but too busy. The water issues in California were not what they are today, but we saw it coming and did an interview with Nancy Pearlman on The EcoNews Network and she offered us national distribution of the film if it was every finished.

Before we got married and went to California, I submitted grants to numerous organizations. The Film Fund stole or lost our original U-Matic which we edited at CBS in NYC with the help of Harry Canon. Sam Wells helped me to dupe the materials in preparation for that. In fact, the sample tape that we created from that editing session is the only edited copy I currently have. The footage in that film was duped by shooting the film on the wall in Sam's friends apartment using his Ikagmi U-Matic camera, which is the reason I don't want to release it. There's some ratty shots in there.

I used to belong to the Film-Five Coop and we met at the Bucks County Council on the Arts. Well, they came to us and said that they wanted to help us (meaning the struggling filmmakers) by sponsoring our proposals the the Pennsylvania Arts Council. So I submitted "You're Not Getting the Point" . You'd think I ate their babies they were so hostile. They said "Why should we support this film". Uh... why indeed? What about freedom of speech and artistic expression? What about truth in politics? Ha, what a bunch of hypocrites!

The American Film Institute liked the film and held their decision making process up for us to get the paperwork from the bank, proving that we raised 80 thousand dollars of the 120 we needed for the full film. Little did we know that the bank where we deposited the money was in favor of building the pump and they did not care to assist us in getting the money. They stalled the paperwork until I lost the grant from AFI. Well, that resulted in my giving the 80 thousand back, because that was given to help us raise grant money.

So there are many things that have happened over the years, not the least of which is being harassed by the police and having a car drive through the front of my studio.

This is an interesting story. The police were all over me. They kept issuing me bogus tickets until I lost my license and couldn't afford to keep my truck on the road. But that didn't stop me. I would pack my bicycle and my backpack with my camera and supplies and ride the fifteen miles one way to the pump site to film what was going on. One day I had the very strong feeling that my studio was not secure and that I needed to hide my film footage. So I took all the audio tapes and all the film footage and hid it all around the studio in boxes and in nooks and crannies where nobody who broke in could find them. I then packed my camera and rode over to the site.

We had a camp set up there, which we called "Valley Forge Two" and so I was camping there . It was a long ride and I needed to be there to film what was going on. People would come up to me and give me money for film, that was cool.

So I rode back to my studio the next day. When I got there- there was a giant hole in the front of the building. A car had driven into the building, smashing my antique rolltop desk in the process. Now you have to realize that this was a small cottage sitting in the middle of a field. The possibility that this was really an accident is very unlikely, especially when I had the overwhelming feeling that I was about to be invaded. That is just one more example of how controversial this film was and even still is. I have to confess that I am afraid that if I release this film the assaults will start again. I'm going to do it anyway though and hope for the best.

I'll continue this essay at another time.
AG

Nunc Licet: readings at Tamanend Park begin...

Arthur Greisiger 

is conducting readings of his stage play 

"Nunc Licet"
a play about Emanuel Swedenborg

at the Tamanend Park Stage
The Meadow Amphitheatre

beginning this 

Sunday September 26th from 2-4 pm 

(the regular time for Shakespearean activity) 

Work will continue on Sunday afternoons 

with the goal of making a presentation
for the World Assembly in June of 2011.  

We need to have people willing to read 

and others who are willing to assist in planning 

and gathering resources for the Assembly presentation. 

The immediate goal is to present in Pendelton Hall
on the campus of Bryn Athyn College,

beyond that, there hope to produce a film version.

Contact Arthur at 215-322-1566, or
imagemindag@verizon.net  

For further information
or to read a synopsis of the play
use this search link;

Nunc Licet

We need to finance this production and invite individuals willing to assist with this.

Studio Expansion

Property Acquisition;

IMS is currently located in Southampton, Pennsylvania, but has also had Studios consisting of shop space, studio/offices in Solebury/New Hope, Doylestown, Dublin, PA, Boston, MA and both Beverly Hills & Hollywood, CA.

The current operations are as reduced as possible, but are in great need of expansion.

An opportunity to expand the studio facilities into an additional 5K, or 10K, square feet has arisen.  The window for this opportunity is extremely limited and I will need to capitalize such an expansion to the tune of 50K minimum.  That number does not leave me any working capital, it is simply the required amount for acquisition of the space.  More details will be provided when I do the budget.

But there is also another opportunity which is under review.

Southampton does not have very much open space available. The township is considered built out. However there are a number parcels available. One is located in one of the industrial districts, is raw land and would accommodate an reasonably sized studio compound, but is limited to the two or three acres and does not have room for expansion.  There are also a few industrial buildings available, none of which are optimal.

I recently examined a parcel with an industrial building, a house, and additional land.  I was surprised to find that this parcel could serve well as a studio compound, but more interesting than that is the fact that there is an adjacent parcel of ten acres which is also available, effectively making nearly twenty acres avaialble. This is under review, but will require substantial financing. Resources that I do not currently have available to me.  Hence this posting is set down for the purpose of encouraging those resources to become available, as well as locating a Financial Manger/CFO for IMS.

The long term goal of a Theatrical Development Centre could well be implemented at this location, even though to do so would be locating it in a densely populated area.

History;

Years ago IMS had a scene shop, offices, and a rental stage set up in 2500 sq ft of the rear building of where my current offices are.  My intention at the time,  was to create a rental stage for photography, film, television and a rehearsal space for musicians.  I was well on my way to having the lighting installed and I was doing advertising, modeling photography, and creating display sign-age while I was setting up the facility.

I had numerous requests to use the space for "slams" which I refused and I had come to the conclusion that I did not want to operate the facility during late night hours, which would have been required for the rehearsal space.  So I eliminated that potential source of income.  My further intention was to set up a peanut gallery so that try-outs could happen and there would be an audience for television programs.  I was beginning to build a control booth for the stage area when another opportunity came up.

I had this shop set-up for around nine months, when, at their request,  The New Hope Arts Commission asked me to become their Technical Director and help them to survive a major shift in the management of the organization.  I took the position, but unfortunately discovered, too late that it did not pay sufficiently, nor in a timely manner, and did not allow me enough time to maintain or further develop the stage facility I was building.

In addition to these factors, I was using half of the building on a sub-let which was not working out, since I was paying too much for the space and the "landlord", who was the other business in the building, was not compatible with what I was doing and causing me grief.  I also had issues with the Fire Marshall, who was telling me that I had to install a sprinkler system and install additional fire exits.  The cost of operation became too much for me to handle and so I closed down the shop.

Current Status;

As it turns out, our family owns the building and our current tenant is moving out.  That leaves 10K sq ft open and available as of January of 2011.  Since IMS is intending on producing "The Gnomes of New Hope" as a television special, a marionette show, and a Broadway musical, this is an excellent opportunity to set-up that operation in a most convenient situation.  My trucks and current office are locate at the same address and one of my jobs is to oversee the maintenance on these buildings.

So it is that bringing my supplies out of storage, setting up the scenery shop for construction of the sets for The Gnomes, building the marionettes, manufacturing numerous ancillary products for this show, expanding the offices, setting up the animation studio,  expanding editing rooms, and employing production personnel to implement this and other projects is a good thing to be doing right now.

In order to do this, the effort will need to be financed and a CFO will need to be located.  A long time goal I have had for IMS is to restructure the operation with a more defined and functional corporate ladder. This will need to be the case if the management of the "Gnomes of New Hope" is to remain in-house and reach it's full potential in the marketplace.

In addition to "The Gnomes...", there are numerous other theatrical & cinema projects in pre-production or on the shelf, but there are also a number of product lines that have passed thru the prototype stages and linger on being ready for market.  Issues with space for inventory, manufacturing and assembly, as well as sufficient working space to implement packaging and guarantee fulfillment, have caused the delay in attempting to market these products. Expansion would open up the income potential for these projects as well.

Further discussion on this subject will ensue.

The Gnomes of New Hope: current status

Current Status; 

1/5/11

The presentation at Barnes & Noble went well, with discussions about a book signing taking place.  We presented a narrative storytelling of the first half of the story and the kids were enthralled. the adults were quite pleased and enthused as well, so it became clearer what direction we needed to move in with the show.

We had four of our Gnome characters enlarged to about 36" and they stood about in a semi-circle surrounding a stool with a copy of the book cover on an easel in the background.  We played a loop of the music in the background as I read the story and we displayed our script & music score materials.  Overall it looked and played well.

So now, I am working hard to complete the narrative layout for the storybook, but one of the issues with that is the finalization of the lyrics in the musical and trying to work all the scene variations into the second half of the show.  With that in mind I have shifted over to producing a Book of Lyrics (which is separate from the stage script or the Libretto).  This will help to clarify how many of the numerous little sub-plot items I can include in the stage musical.  Even if items are excluded from the stage, they may appear in the film though.

While I am doing this, Shawn is converting the 8-track music files over to stereo and working on mastering the music.  At the same time the orchestrations are being refined into the final stages, since some of the songs clearly need enhancement before going into mastering. 

We are preparing the material for going into the studio to lay down the lyrics and for me to do the narrative. The initial plan was to have the narrative told by Ferny and that may still be included, but after having done the reading at Barnes & Noble, numerous people have expressed their opinion that I should do the narrative, so I guess I will. That work will also be done at Circle Studios as opposed to at IMS, since their equipment & sound recording facilities are far superior.

We are planning on making another presentation of the show at Tamanend Park in the summer of 2011 and we have opened up discussion in New Hope about presenting the show there, possibly in the Bucks County Playhouse?  As you may have seen elsewhere- the game plan includes puppetry so we are now working to develop a larger prototype of the puppets for that presentation.  That puppet show is an experiment that is intended to go along with the concert presentation and I am now investigating animatronics for certain of  the puppet heads functions.  This work is leading to a filmed version of the puppet show.  I am debating as to whether or not to bring the subject up with Sesame Street.

Our main issue  right now is to increase our investment funds so that we can move forward at a more rapid pace, particularly with illustrations and the construction of the puppets.  Obviously there are other business matters which need attention and investment as well, so tending to those matters affects the overall pace of production.

We are also moving toward construction a large balloon(s) for our presence in parades and a construction of a float for publicity is also something we are looking at.

10/16/10

The narrative script has developed thru three revisions of the first half of the show. It is now clear that this must be finished, as we have an opportunity to present the story & possibly some of the music at a Barnes & Noble book fair.  I will be working to complete the narrative for the entire story over the next month. 

We are also designing the concert presentation, which will include, puppetry, live vocalists and use of the illustrations in various ways. We have determined to present the show at Tamanend Park and Phillip's Mill and are moving forward to paint the drops needed and construct the puppets.  This approach will allow for growth out of the resources we have available, rather than put us in the position that we need to raise larger amounts of Front Money...

8/17/10 

Publication of the score is moving along nicely and I am now integrating the published score into the Working Script. The Libretto will be derived from this when that process is completed.  The Working Script & Libretto is quite voluminous.

The Working Script: contains numerous description elements of each scene-  Synopsis, Setting, Summary, Technical Notes, Sets, Lighting, Properties, Costumes, and Character notes. If necessary for a particularly complex scene, another category, such as "Scene Change Notes" may also be included.  I expect that notes regarding musical performance may be included at some point.

This Working Script will constitute the primary materials for rental when the show is ready to Franchise as a traveling Marionette show.  The plan is to develop the Marionette show before the live performance, principally because of the resources required for a live show, but also because marketing the show with ancillary products, is the current modus operandi for gaining those resources required for a live union based show. In addition, the Marionette show will assist in raising the funds at a Backer's Audition and bringing the audience into the live show by developing affection for the material before the live show goes up.

Further advancement for The Illustrated Storybook has taken place, although work on the illustrations has stalled due to the requirement for us to complete the score.  If, as mentioned below, I am able to expand the studio operation, I will be establishing an Art Department capable of pursuing the illustrations and work on the Animated Version of the show.

Work is being done to assure that The Narrative Story, being used for the recorded CD Edition is consistent in their story-telling with the Illustrated published edition, and the stage show versions. A certain degree of divergence is acceptable, but for marketing purposes the story needs to remain as parallel as possible.

All of this runs parallel to my desire to restructure IMS toward a more corporate environment.

8/7/10:

We have been working very hard to achieve two basic goals. One- to publish the score and Two- to remix the music from eight tracks down to two.  I have taken on the responsibility to do the score and Shawn has taken on the remix. Our plan is to go into another, better equipped Studio (Circle Recording Studios) to lay down the vocals.  In order to do that we feel that it is best that we master the instrumentals to the stereo mix, which will ultimately be required anyway.

The publication of the score is something that is required for furtherance of the project for both publication goals and production goals.  Opportunities that exist must be met head on with full preparation and it is my opinion that performance of this music in a live orchestral or ensemble setting will greatly advance our cause. So as a result of my insistence, the job of scoring has fallen to me, which I'm actually rather happy about, even though it is a huge amount of logistical work which does take away from composing.

Marionettes: I am still working on constructing the marionettes and I have now begun an new phase in that construction. 

• I've constructed numerous chassis for the puppets and have experimented with various sculpting techniques and materials to try to ascertain the best approach.  I want the construction to be something that can be implemented in a manufacturing environment for the ancillary markets.  I am anticipating that we will need to be doing that in-house and so I will be seeking a distribution agreement for those products.

• I am now experimenting with two foot high models of human skeletons.  I am not certain if it is required, but my thinking is that the movements of the marionettes with actual skeletons may work the best to emulate bodily positions.  As it stands now I believe that the current approach will be able to serve the two purposed required for both marionettes and stop action cinematography.

• It is possible to move into the television production and the construction of the sets for both the franchised marionette show and the stop action film. We have sufficient material to advance in this regard. 

• I have the opportunity to expand the studio into a larger portion of the building I am currently using. This seems like it makes sense, but only if I garner sufficient resources to do so comfortably.  I have made mention of this elsewhere, to do this will require substantial financing and I believe that to acquire this financing the show will need to be represented by an agent who can involve major industry players.

 We have been discussing the art-work with a number of artists, but progress in that area is moving rather slowly because of other demands on time and resources that do not directly pertain to The Gnomes of New Hope.

Look for further postings or write for more details.

The Gnomes of New Hope: discussion board

• I've decided to post this site for discussions on the production for anyone needing to communicate general ideas on this project.  Whatever you post here will be available to all our creative partners to review, so keep it positive. I reserve the right to edit or remove anything posted here.

• To contribute Specific methodology or production management details, refer to the IMS Management Blog.

• Use the Discussion Bulletin Board to communicate creative aspects of design & implementation, characterization,  costuming, animation, documentary activities, scheduling meetings, gathering supplies or other activities relative to actually manifesting the production.

• The Bulletin Board has been set-up for posting items which would be good for the crew to generally communicate with each other and express themselves about the project.

• Please keep the more detailed and classified information for direct communications and not for posting here.  

• Feel free to offer your opinions about the way things are proceeding from your end of things.

• In all cases, it is best to send a copy of your contribution to me via regular email (in the event that I don't get a notification).

The Gnomes of New Hope Discussion Bulletin Board

CO1600, mobile workshop, touring

• A few years ago I began constructing a mobile workshop on a 1962 International Cab Over 1600 truck. That project stalled for numerous reasons, most particularly an illness in the family.  Two other reasons were that - my fabricator went out of business and we never finished constructing the gates on the stake-bed and then I broke the transmission and could no longer practically operate the truck on the roadways.  What sense is there in paying the costs of maintaining the truck on the roadway with a broken transmission?  It works, but reverse is real bad and I have no first gear. I have not yet been able to find a T-15 Transmission, or even parts.  If anybody has one let me know.

• My goal with the mobile workshop was to essentially construct a little barn on wheels.  I do mean a barn.  For some reason I want my workshop to look like an old barn.  At one time I was concerned about the weight of the vehicle, but I'm not going to let that be an issue.  I now intend to construct the doors out of wood instead of steel.  

• I am designing the building to be modular, so that it can be removed from the truck in pieces.  

• Part of the functionality that I have considered for this truck is to have it  serve as a mobile stage, although I am not certain that I need to do this.   

• I have concluded that if I want to use it as a dumping stake-bed for construction purposes, as it pertains to the IMS Studio Compound / Spiritual Retreat (see the Theatrical Development Centre), or a stage, etc. , then I can convert it for that use by removing the workshop building from the truck.  

• The truck has a crane arm on it, but I have not gotten that working yet. The crane is a European Design that nobody seems to know anything about and I've wanted to find more information about the operating systems, before attempting to rebuild it. I do have some of the replacement parts, but I need a manifold which can be operated remotely from the ground. So far I have not had the need to finish the crane arm and my focus of attention is on the creative aspects of "The Gnomes of New Hope"

• The crane arm needs to have outriggers built into the chassis of the truck to prevent twisting the frame. My thinking with the crane-arm has been to use it for moving sets and such. 

• At one time I maintained a recycling yard for set construction supplies and I killed my smaller truck numerous times hauling materials. This was one very big reason that I constructed this truck.  It has always been my intention to reestablish the recycling yard as a member supported facility for area theatres to access supplies at a reduced cost.

• I also had the idea that I might like to make a camera adapter for this crane and to use if for camera work. It would go nearly thirty feet in the air, but it would be pretty tricky learning how to operate it smoothly for camera work. That probably will never get done, but I guess we'll see.

• Well, I decided to start working on my mobile workshop again and so I am going to post images here on this project as a way to kick myself in the butt and get it done.

• One very good reason to do this is the advancement of activities at Tamanend Park and the Shakespeareans.  It is ironic that I had envisioned my supplies and equipment being used for remote productions on-the-road...  and here I am, developing theatre two miles away from where I live.  The surprising thing is that all the supplies that I have gathered over the years are directly applicable to this situation.  Go figure.

• My anticipation was to establish the ability to tour with productions as a freelancer, which I spent decades doing as a technical director and theatre technician... and then I realized that I don't want to do that anymore.

• So, as you can see from other postings and from The Shakespearean Journal, I have been focusing on building a stage and a troupe of players here is Southampton, Pennsylvania. Admittedly this is rather self-serving.  Mostly because I just don't feel like traveling around trying to dig up work on a continuing basis.  If you are not an itinerant thespian then you don't realize that this is what the life of a theatre artist is (unless of course you are gainfully employed in a full time position in a regional not-for-profit or a school of some sort). Been there, done that.

• So as it turns out, if we manage to gather a dependable group of performers who want to tour material, we are almost there with a mobile workshop/hauling vehicle, an RV and (if it becomes necessary) a 35 foot antique house trailer which can serve numerous needs (dressing rooms, bathroom, shower, kitchen, sleeping quarters and an office).  It would take a serious project (with some bucks attached) to pull that unit out on the road though.

• Well,  I thought I'd post something on this subject in the way of getting me moving on completing the mobile workshop and at the same time letting you know about the resources we have available to us as we build The Shakespeareans of Tamanend Park.

• Look for pictures to appear here. I have a collection showing it's progress from a hulk to an operable vehicle.  I think that would be interesting, so I'll post them here in the future. (I used to have a nice web page on this project, until AOL closed down Hometown. I'll try to convert that web site over to here.) AG

Fourth of July

Here's an image I took of Ocean City's Fireworks years ago.  

This image has been published a multiple times on the cover of
a few newspapers down along the shore.

It is a time-lapse exposure containing a collection of bursts.

Copies of this photograph are available.
Inquire regarding price/size.

Dealer inquiries are welcome.

Publishing rights are available.

IMS-management

I have begun a new blog titled IMS Management

• This site is dedicated to discussing overall management issues that are not of a secure or classified nature and touch upon management subjects that are specific to a IMS particular project.  

• All such discussions that are present on other blogs will be moved to this site as a means of isolating these subjects for clarity and improved development of the IMS Virtual Studio.

• If you have arrived at this site thru links as a result of an invitation or from the Main IMS page, or any other IMS page link, please feel free to let me know what you think.  

• I suggest that you become a follower, because I may secure this site if I find that I am putting information here that needs to be secure.  

• If this site does become secure, then I will limit the viewing and the comments to only those people who are dialoguing with me or contributing to the advancement on the subjects posted here.

The Shakespearean Journal

Here's a link to 

The Shakespearean Journal

on-line edition

All the Shakespearean activities will be moved to this site.

Check The Journal for the most recent schedule of events
and information about
The Southampton Days Parade

This is a companion to the hard copy edition that is being published and distributed to sponsors,
patrons, & subscribers.  A reduced version of The Journal will be provided
to attendees of the shows at the park as a Playbill,
but a more expanded edition will be made available to subscribers.
Contributors to the Shakespeareans of Tamanend Park will receive a subscription
as part of their membership.

We welcome writers who would like to submit their material.

Contact me for further dialogue on the subject.

AG

Searching this blog

Although there are links placed within the postings, it is best to use the search function (above) to locate all the postings (particularly on the subject of Nunc Licet).

Divergence

"Divergence"

This was a film project that I partnered with Rafe Stoneman to co-produce.  I served as the Producer/Director/Filmmaker and he served as the Co-producer/Performer.   Together we created the scenario and wrote the scripted portions of the film.   I have to admit that many portions of the written script have never found their way to film.   As it stands it is a short film of undetermined length, probably 20-45 minutes.

It has become a rather spontaneous expression of the process we went thru to shoot the material.  It seems as though the overall purpose, or story of the film, is metamorphosing as it is edited.  Which is basically the way I work. So even though I can say the story is about one man's spiritual journey, and there are elements of family relationships in the story, the emotional responses of the character to his environment are clearly amplified by the editing.

Expect to see a version of this on YouTube as soon as I can get the editing system functioning properly again. AG

Nunc Licet... synopsis

Synopsis of Story

Originally composed in 1997,

this Synopsis is updated,
with commentary added;

Nunc Licet...    

        a stage play

                   by Arthur Greisiger

The heart of the play is in the title. 

 It is taken from the writings of

Emanuel Swedenborg.  

It is Latin for- now it is permitted, 

referring to the permission given 

by the Lord God, 

for mankind to enter intellectually

into the secrets of faith, 

which He has hidden within the Bible.

• Swedenborg, an eighteenth century scientist, nobleman, and eventual mystic seer,  claimed to have been the messenger of a system of “correspondences”, whereby an internal message could be deciphered from the Word of God, which when understood, provides a clear view of the Divine operation as it pertains to mankind’s eternal destiny.  

• In addition to other quite astounding proclamations, Swedenborg claimed to have visited the World of Spirits, Heaven & Hell and to have spoken with spirits who were newly arrived from Earth, angels from Heaven & demons from Hell, while he yet lived in this natural world.  He claimed to have had this ability for 27 years and to have done so daily during that time.  He has stated that he was given permission to do this, so that he might convey these truths by means of the printing press.

• The play is set in 1771, when Swedenborg was 83 years old, (but in subsequent productions, it is also quite possible for it to be presented in a contemporary format).  

• The action of the play takes place at a social gathering,  held by an excited host to discuss the latest trends in philosophical thought and to introduce Emanuel Swedenborg to some of his friends 

• Conflicts arise as the religious fervor of the host is pitted against the disdain of his long-time friend and the confusion of another non-committal friend who is caught in the middle. There are a wide array of character types who are likewise drawn into this debate. This adds diversity to the perspectives conveyed and adds a more casual conversational element to the atmosphere, allowing for greater exchange and revelation of interpersonal aspects of the characters.

• Because this is a very philosophical piece which addresses a number of religious questions; a variety of representative characters have been devised to bring diversity to the perspectives presented and to give the audience a good selection of characters with whom they might relate.  Many of the more significant parallels between the audience and the characters take place in the subplot, as a means of providing the audience with sufficient diversion from the philosophical and intellectual challenges which may be uncomfortable for them in the primary thread of the dialogue. This array of secondary characters and the issues that surround them creates a theatrical environment which is rich in material for an audience to focus on during the play, in the event that they may struggle with the primary thread. 

• In the first act - as the gathering progresses and the characters are introduced,  the subject progresses from how creation came about, to whether God exists or not and if he does how He interacts with man. These and many more such questions are debated. They are presented within the context of revealing the essential nature, quality and attitudes of the characters who appear in the play and in the light of Emanuel Swedenborg's rather shocking claims.

• Romantic circumstances exist within the play which add dimension and provide diversion from the intellectualism and religious nature of the piece.  Additional relief is provided by  music in both instrumental & vocal form and in the period nature of the piece in terms of costuming. 

• Reference to Emanuel Swedenborg stirs discussion about rumors of the man and his claim of having visited Heaven & hell.   He makes his entrance  at the end of the first act just before the intermission. 

• The second act - deals more directly with the personalities of the characters while using their reaction to Swedenborg and each other as a catalyst for probing numerous ideas put forth by Swedenborg.   

• Numerous subplots are developed which underlie the text and serve to contrast and highlight the subject matter.  One very important purpose of these subplots, is to offer sufficient diversity to allow the audience to select a plot line or character which is most comfortable for them to focus their attention on, or relate to.   In this way, the subject matter, being of religious nature, is less predominate for persons who do not care to align themselves with that aspect of the play and yet find numerous other points of interest in which they may enjoy the play.

• Although the structure of the script is quite specific and the successful delivery of the subject matter is very dependent upon that structure, the latitude & dimension of the play as a whole, is very dependent upon full characterization by the players and so there is sufficient room for interpretive and improvisational characterization and possibly even variation on the dialogue. This is particularly true in the second act. Stage presence and action is often necessary strictly for aesthetics and contrast. Characters often say more with their actions then their words.  

• One element present in the script, but not easily understood, is a layering of delivery and correlative action.  In the written script, this tends to flatten out and make reading somewhat laborious, because it is not easy to comprehend the movement of the characters and to remember their relationship to each other. 

• There are many places in which the secondary characters, non-speaking presence, on the stage is equally as important as the dialogue that is delivered, and without that presence, the dialogue seems burdensome.  This is the difficulty with reading a script as opposed to a novel. I find that many people do not understand this. 

• The play climaxes as tension is built, mostly by the primarily antagonist. He becomes increasingly isolated from the other characters and is unable to accept many of the propositions presented. His reaction is to cause distress to the other characters.   

• In addition to this conflict, the other characters are dealing with their own issues which are also heightened by the addition of Swedenborg's perspectives as a factor of consideration. Many hidden conflicts and issues are brought out in each of the characters subtext.  

• About one third of the characters fluctuate between the protagonist & antagonist roles in varying degrees.  Some of the characters are mostly non-committal, decorum, or occupied with actions created for diversion from the primary subject matter.  This is necessary in order to justify the impression of a large social gathering but there is a shifting of attention across the full range of characters throughout the play.

• The conclusion of the second act is brought about by the primary antagonist  who, thru his frustration and distress, assaults one of the other characters.  This leads to a brief, but violent, brawl which results in the heart failure and death of that character. 

• The third act is relatively brief and opens after a series of transition sound effects in the dark.  As the lights come up, the assaulted character is found lying on the couch in the sitting room.  It is soon discovered that he is now in the spiritual world where he is first attended by two celestial angels, then by two spiritual angels before he awakens. 

• When he does awaken, he soon greeted by an angel who provides him with further information about his new state of being.  Somewhat stunned, the character is left alone. After some time, his wife, whom he loved dearly and who had died many years before, appears.  Their coming together again provides an uplifting conclusion to the play.   The essence of the third act is based upon the information provided by Swedenborg throughout the play.

• There are 18 characters and 3 or 4 musicians in the play, designed to convey a wide diversity of personality types,  foster the impression of a large gathering, and  creating a multitude of dramatic circumstances.  

•  Emanuel Swedenborg is the primary focus of the play,  however intellectual tension is combined with romance to give the play added dimension.  The “period” nature of the play, adds a theatricality to the piece that is a great advantage, in making attendance a special experience that will counteract any trepidation one may have over the religious nature of the play.

• For further discussions  refer to the Production Approach Summary

• The script is available for purchase directly thru Image of the Mind Studios.  

Nunc Licet Current Activity & Archive

Older Synopsis Information
(including excepts from Swedenborg's writings)

The World May Never Understand

This is the second film

I did at college
in 1973.

It won a few awards

but it hasn't seen
the light of day

since 1974.

This is a
low resolution copy,

but that's OK.

I'm working on posting
a few other films. 

AG

IMS Producing Partners

IMS Producing Partners is a new membership site that I am developing for our vested partners and contract participants.

   The details of all matters pertaining to the production management of IMS projects will be made available to our partners only.  All such details present on the Virtual Studio will be removed and become part of information only available to our partners.

   There is a membership fee of $120 to join and membership is required to become a vested partner in any degree.  Membership in IMS Producing Partners is not investment.  Investment information will be discussed on the limited access site for members only.  The membership fee is a subscription that can be taken out on a monthly basis over one year or paid all at once.  It is set up on PayPal.  Membership billing is currently set up on a three year program, assuming that most projects will involve at least that much time to be fulfilled.  Members need not sign up for the full three years, because it proceeds one year at a time.  Details of this will be available on the membership pages. If this changes, members will be notified.

  The IMS Producing Partners site is in development and membership is now open.  Members should understand that they are now part of a growing dialogue that will include specifics not previously offered on the web,  specifics that pertain to investment and management of IMS theatrical and cinematic projects.   Members will log in to acquire the necessary proposal and contract/management materials for investment,  or for any other level of business participation, including licensing, manufacturing & distribution of IMS products. 

   Here is a list of some of the contract materials which will be available for your review on the membership site.

• Restrictive Covenant Agreement
• Developmental Production Agreement
• Writing/Design Contracts
• Front Money Agreement 
• Assorted Budgets
• Joint Venture Agreement
• Resource Commitment Agreement
• Limited Partnership Agreement
• Theatrical Production Contract
• Venue/Touring Agreement
• Marketing Agreements
• Numerous Ancillary Rights Agreements
• Cinematic Production Contract
• Television Production Contract
• Cinematic/Television/Digital Delivery Distribution Agreement
• Vendor Production/Distribution Contracts

   These materials are under review and are undergoing revision  for use with the latest set of circumstances and inclusion in this new program for financing and new reporting methods.  The contracts are being rewritten for inclusion on the subscription web site.

The integration of this information into the site will take time and will be made possible by friends and associates becoming members of this site.  All our producing partners, financiers, licensees, manufacturing & distribution partners and all contracted profit sharing personnel & subcontractors are required to become members. Important information will not be available to the general public and so membership will be required and monitored.

   It is a tiered system with various degrees of membership, access privileges, and benefits to membership depending upon the degree of ones vested interest. The system is being built for periodic direct notifications to our partners and membership is now open.

If you are serious about participating in a specific project you should join and you will be contacted.

Access Privileges

Level 1 $ 10/mth Level 2 $ 120/yr

Your e-mail Address

from: "Spontaneous Expressions of the Soul"

"The Sphere of Love"

echoes the voice of God's pure being

Sharing Life, to all who hear

Eternity awaits
it's magnitude is ineffable

It's beauty unbounded
and fear is banished

(White is the Light of Truth)

with Hope & Faith
Life expands into
the unknown

The Unseen is understood
and clearly set
before the mind's
open door

The Valley of Eden
flows into the
Horizon of
Eternity

Eternity
calling gently
forevemore.

AG

The Virtual Studio

Image of the Mind Studios
Horizons
Virtual Studio

1/7/10

For many years I produced the Newsletter "Horizons", which was a summary of the projects being developed under the banner Image of the Mind Studios. It was much like this blog site, although the design was quite different. There were many times I would publish the quarterly newsletter and then never even send it out, so it was somewhat sporadic that way. With the advent of the internet, and all that came with it, that problem was solved.

Now the issue is how to use the new medium effectively. I have seen numerous web sites that are quite effective in their design and I do hope to gradually come to the point where I can design the Virtual Studio to reflect the creativity that I would like to stand as a representative of Image of the Mind Studios. For now, the design will remain somewhat neutral, in deference to conveying essential information about the projects that are developing.

As the design progresses, I do hope to find a way to link our internal servers to the internet and provide a more aesthetically pleasing and functional network of design & business elements within The Virtual Studio.

I am not as young as I once was and learning comes more slowly, not only because, what needs to be learned seems more complicated, but because my time is absorbed in doing the things that are represented here in these web pages. So I would not judge the creativity of Image of the Mind Studios based on the design of these web pages. Eventually I hope it will be reflected here. AG

The material in all the archives
is from postings that are not in the current year,
but will continue to be edited
to remain pertinent.

Virtual Studio Archive

Basic Index

Introduction to IMS Virtual Studio

*

Primary IMS Projects at this time;

The Shakespeareans of Tamanend Park
(Shakespeare under the Stars, Scenes From Shakespeare, & Music From Shakespeare)

The Gnomes of New Hope
(a CD with a narrative of the story is in production)

Nunc Licet... now it is permitted
(script is now available for purchase)

Other associations;
Bucks County Gilbert & Sullivan Society

Bryn Athyn Community Theatre

IMS Films on YouTube

An Essay on the Improvement of the Community
Southampton Pennsylvania

Please review the index and the blog archive along the sidebar to the left for other subjects

Moody Blues

I've decided to place a link to various Moody Blues films here.
You can select the video you want to watch by clicking arrow at the bottom right.
AG

IMS Cimena

IMS Film Projects:

Also refer to the index under the heading Cinema Projects for Progress Reports & Summaries.

IMS Films on YouTube:

Now that I've managed to post a film on YouTube and I have finally gotten my editing systems functioning I am in a position to edit some films I have laying around unfinished. I especial hope to get "You're Not Getting The Point" posted, because I know a number of people have wanted to see this film finished.

Just so you know, I've started making films when I was seven years old. Writing takes up a lot of time.

I'm still learning how to integrate the films into this blog in an aesthetic fashion. I do know that if you view the films on YouTube then there is a count of view, which I don't have here.

Equipment & Formats:

I've concluded that I will be striving to acquire one or more Canon XL H1 . It seems to be a Digital HD Camera that will meet my needs. That being said, I'd also like to connect with other filmmakers who are using that camera for input and or crew in the Philadelphia area.

Archive:

I have numerous formats, 8mm, Super 8, 16mm, VHS, Beta, S-VHS & Mini DV and I've never really had them all working in symphony with each other. My experience was chiefly in the middle of the format wars between 16mm & video, et al. In those days everything was intentionally proprietory and it became too difficult for me to deal with, so I have been loath to attempt it. My solution to the struggles and costs involved with film/video was to focus on theatre instead of film-making. Thank God for the advancements that have brought the field together!

I tend to acquire my equipment when everyone else dumps it for the latest and the greatest, although I'm getting tired of that approach. I've managed to fill in the gaps with some equipment that I had a hard time finding and now the bridge between film and video is almost complete. By complete I mean easily passable in both directions.

Since we are writing a musical, the equipment and programs for studio operation in audio was a priority. This translates into film and I expect to adapt some of what I have for location work. Digital Performer is our principle composing software and it was very difficult to get it up & running properly and to learn it , and the adjacent programs & hardware. That caused me to forestall addressing Final Cut Pro, but now that I have, I'm almost addicted to it. Rendering is a bummer though, because I'm using an older version. But I'm very thankful that I can at least begin to edit the numerous films I have laying around unfinished.

I still have to work on getting all the equipment synchronized properly with SMPTE, but I'm on that path and for now I don't need that. I have been planning on using an Alesis BRC or the MOTU 2408 for the location Master Clock because I anticipate using the XT for the location sound, the BRC would work. Of course it's all rather bulky, but hey, I'm working on low budget. I may get an mixer/interface with XLR imputs to work with the XT instead of the BRC. It may be that an HD 24 or a laptop would be better, but I haven't determined that yet. I have a Uher 1000 Pilot that has served me very well, and with repairs that will still capture great mono sound.

I'm interested in finding ways to encode the film I shoot thru my Beaulieus, so if anyone has a solution to that, please let me know. In addition to an assortment of other cameras, I've got a 5008s, a few R-16s and I am looking to acquire a 4008 & a News 16. And of course my goal is an Aaton, possibly an Arri & a Mitchell for 35mm. If I shift away from the Beaulieus, which I ultimately have to do, then I need a whole array of gender-specific (and expensive) accessories.

HD is another issue. It's convenient, but it's not the same as film. I expect to experiment with that soon. I remember being at the Show Bus Expo in NY when HD was first proposed. That was back in the 80's, when things were really changing around... well enough of that.

Keep watch here for further discussions on film production activity. AG

Freedom- Crossing the Delaware

" Freedom "


Years ago, when I was doing Colonial Re-enactments, I began a film project based on this subject matter. Quite a bit of footage was shot on mini-DV and was put away with the intention to edit at some point. Now that I have finally gotten my DV editing programs to function properly with the other equipment on my bench, I hope to spend time editing this film.

It is ironic that this year Washington's Crossing State Park will be closed due to funding issues at the state level. Of the many things that are paid for by the state, this seems like one of the last items that ought to be bumped off the list. How many moments in the history of this nation are there which have this level of significance to help the people understand why this country exists?

Well, I'm beginning to work on this film again and I will post updates here as it progresses. I am hoping to figure out how to post the footage so you can see Washington and his men crossing the Delaware.

Here's my character Jean Pierre, a scout for General Washington. Unfortunately, it started to get where I needed to become fluent in French, because so many people were getting into the character and carrying on conversations with me. Since I can only fake it so much, and not when I need to converse with people, I stopped portraying the character. Hopefully I can spend some time learning French and then get back into the character.

It would be kind of neat to come up with a storyline that takes place around the Crossing of the Delaware, but from a different angle. I guess we'll worry about that after I get this other film finished. The plan for "Freedom" is to take the footage and do a rough cut, then move into hand painting the images so that they appear with a watercolor effect. I know that this can be done electronically, my mixing board has a digital painting effect. That may be worth doing as a test, but I think that the individual frames will need to be addressed, shot to shot, in order to achieve the effect I envision. I don't think doing it electronically will be aesthetically sound, not if I am to achieve a period feel to the work. I'd like for the images to have a sense of reality, yet still be color. Black & white brings a sense of antiquity, because of the period that represents in film, but it is still married to film. I believe that if the work has a painted feel that the newness of the medium can be transcended. Well. time will tell. Also I need to 'paint out" undesirable compositional elements.

AG